Rajai Davis left Citi Field a hero on Saturday. The Mets won 3-0 against the Dodgers thanks to Davis' clutch pinch-hit double in the eighth inning.
The moment was huge. The Mets hadn't had a base runner since the third inning and then they had the bases juiced in the eighth as Todd Frazier and Brandon Nimmo were hit by pitches and Amed Rosario was walked by Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias.
Due up was Seth Lugo, but Mets skipper Mickey Callaway opted for Davis and his rip down the left field line turned that into a game-winning choice. Following the contest, Davis said he's hoping Callaway opts for similar decisions in the near future.
"It's huge, maybe I'll get more opportunities," Davis said. "But I'm just happy I could help us win today."
Callaway said Mets hitting coach Chili Davis helped with the decision to put Davis in. Davis, a righty batter, facing Urias, a lefty, played a role, too.
"The ability to foul the 96 [mph] up here and then cover the change up. It's a short, simple swing, and he's going to make contact. Almost every time we've used him to pinch hit this year, he's hit the ball hard somewhere," Callaway said. "I don't think big situations bother him, either."
Davis didn't make things easy on himself, though. After swinging and missing at the first pitch, he then fouled off two pitches to stay alive at the plate. In that spot, Davis said he slowed things down, and it paid off.
"Early I had some real aggressive swings. When I got two strikes, I just wanted to put the ball in play, let the ball travel. Get a pitch I could handle and put the ball in play and see what happens," Davis said.